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2013-10-04 - Chemical Warfare: No One to Fill Bruce's Boots
Damian's exile to his room has been almost constant since he was first banished there. Sitting alone on his bed with his computer in his lap. When he does leave, it tends to be in the middle of the night when he knows that Bruce will be out as Batman and Alfred will be asleep. Not that he is as concerned about Alfred as he once was, the man has been Damian's only contact with the outside world now that Carrie has been sent away. As the morning turns into afternoon it finds Damian sitting cross-legged on the bed watching a lecture on basic physics, a new area of interest, for the boy. Though as the video comes to an end he yawns, stretches and sets the computer on the bed beside him. He pushes off the bed, bare feet thumping lightly on the floor. He yawns once more and looks at himself in the mirror, he is in pyjamas and his hair is a mess. He frowns, unacceptable. He goes to his closet to get a towel and then throwing it over his shoulder creeps out of his room heading to the bathroom to get himself looking presentable. Something seems wrong as Damian gets closer to the bathroom. Too quiet. It's always quiet here, but sometimes the young man can hear Alfred puttering about. As a result, it's more than the quiet, a sensation that puts the hairs on your neck to rise. A wrongness. And then suddenly it breaks, a terrible sound from downstairs of something being broken. It is likely the front door being beaten down and shattered into firewood. The wrongness makes Damian stop in his tracks. He crouches low moving to the side of the hallway and just lets his senses feed him what he needs to know. Then the sound of the door breaking reaches him and he springs into action. He turns, standing as he does and sprints towards the stairs. At the top he takes the towel off his shoulders and twists it in his hands as he begins to descend. If he can reach the study he should be able to figure out how to get into the Bat Cave and get at his weapons. Except as Damian heads down the stairs, he can see quite a number of individuals in black and red revealing themselves. Two of them are jogging toward the stairs just as Damian reaches the top, and they pause when they see him. One says in Arabic to the other, < That's the one the Master wants. > And they start to run for Damian, moving inhumanly fast for such massive men. Damian watches the men move and he knows that something is not right and these are not regular men. Still, Damian has not been one to wilt away from danger. When the men speak he frowns slightly. Arabic, master, that suggests these men belong to his grandfather he advances down the stairs with just the towel as a weapon < Was my mother too frightened to come get me herself? She needed the Head of the Demon to do it? > he replies in the same language. He launches himself at one of the men, forgetting the towel for a moment, he jumps, his foot driving down at the man's leading knee, trying to send him tumbling down the stairs and if he's lucky, into the second man as well. There is a grunt as one man feels his knee give somewhat and he tumbles down the stairs. He twists, and tries to catch himself, and get back to his feet as quickly as possible. The other one was running up by the man's side rather than behind him, so he goes to grab at Damian, < The Head of the Demon is a weak man compared to our Master. He cannot even keep his own family in line. Now hold still! > There are three others that heard the commotion and are hurring toward the stairs to assist, one pausing to help his comrade back to his feet so he can be more useful. Damian will realize quickly that this is not good, the knee that gave under his foot did not break or snap. Damian crouches under the second man's arms, then pushing back up with his feet drives his head into the man's groin. < My grandfather is many things servant, but he is not weak > he counters. If his attack on the second man worked Damian turns and runs sprinting upstairs to find a window he can jump out of and get some distance from these men. The odds are not in his favour. The second man gets knocked back against the railing, a crack heard, but he doesn't go through it. The other two as only one paused to pick up their comrade are charging up the stairs. One leaps toward Damian to pounce on him, his superb strength making the leap appear like child's play. Though Damian is quick, so he likely won't fully pin the young boy. The one that was knocked against the railing says, < Careful. We need him in one piece. > And that is when a shadow starts to move from one of the side rooms, holding a shotgun in hand. Damian oofs as he's slammed hard into the stairs. Though he doesn't have time to register the hurt more than that he twists around under his attacker and stiffening his fingers he drives them at the man's eyes. Out of the corner of his eye he spots the shadow, a flicker of concern crosses his face but he wiggles free of his attacker if he can and tries draw the men up the stairs by continuing his retreat. < Unfortunately for you I do not have the same restrictions > he calls down to the men taunting them and trying to keep their attention fixed on him. A scream of pain at the poke to the man's eye, but the second one is already there, trying to tackle Damian. The one that was talking the entire time is also moving toward the boy, but suddenly pause when there is a sound of a British voice. "Let go of the Young Master, now." Alfred's voice doesn't waiver, and his old blue eyes look clear and determined. He holds the shotgun up at the group of men. Two shots, five men total; yet he doesn't back down because he knows if he does, the boy will be missing soon. Bruce wouldn't approve of guns in the house at all, but Alfred disobeys him anyway. Damian ducks as the second man dives at him throwing an elbow at the man's face as he does. "Kill two of them, I'll handle the other three," he tells Alfred as he moves to follow up on his second opponent with a punch to the throat. A snort comes from the so-called 'leader' of the group, "Washed up intelligence kill us? The elite?" The heavy accented voice sounds amused. "You won't win old man. You already be dead if we weren't ordered against it. Step back." The other one grunts at the elbow, but doesn't let go, the are reaching and grabbing at Damian. If there weren't so many, Damian would likely not have a problem. One-on-one, he could handle one of these guys with his superb training even he if he realizes they are more than 'human'. A hand reaches out to catch Damian's hand when he goes to punch to the throat, the soldier not accepting that response. "Go to hell," was Alfred's very British response. There is a sound of shotgun fire, but it was off. The 'leader' grunts, his right chest impacted away from his heart as he is slamed back against the railing and knocked over as it truly breaks this time. There is a cry of pain from Alfred as the shotgun is dropped, a knife sticking out of his own shoulder. Another soldier leaps at Alfred, throwing a fist that knocks the old man out cold as he crumbles. It is a punch that could have killed him if there weren't orders otherwise. < Continue to fight boy, and the old man dies after all. > The threatening promise is clear. When his hand is caught, Damian drives an elbow down on the man's hand trying to break it free. Though whether he succeeds or not the situation with Alfred distracts him. "Run!" he shouts when the knife hits and he in an unforgivable show of weakness, he turns his head when the man jumps forward to deliver the punch that Damian assumes is mean to kill. When it doesn't he stands looking at the men arrayed against him and Alfred helpless on the floor. < I submit > Damian says quietly, still looking at Alfred. There is a groan from the half floor below, as one of the other soldiers goes to pick up the bleeding one from the floor. < Idiot, you are going to get in trouble. > < I noticed, > the tone sounding annoyed. Still, one of the soldiers by Damian move to pull out a strange pair of handcuffs. He flits Damian up and pulls the boy's wrists behind him, securing them. They are tight and ungiving, keeping his wrists perfectly together nearly, and something expends out from them to press against his palms to prevent him from being able to twist his hands about. The one now with a blood nose from Damian, grabs the boy's right arm and starts to jerk him down the stairs unhappily. The 'leader' of the group looks at his own blooding wound and the mess with the others from one walking off a limp to the bleeding nose. < Should have expected this from the spawn of Batman and that she-bitch. > He glares at Alfred, but lets the man live as the group starts to head out the busted in front door. There is no movement from Alfred, but Damian as he passes him can see the old man still breathes, even as he bleeds from the knife wound in his shoulder, his face already starting to swell. Damian finally turns away from Alfred when his hands are bound and that is only to stare murderously at the men who do it. He is silent as he is lead away and spares a glance back at Alfred when they pass by where he lays. He doesn't struggle though, he just turns to the leader and says < I want to let you know, you are a dead man >. Damian's voice is calm and collected. < Either I will escape, or my mother or grandfather will come for me, but you will die. Your only hope is to wait for my father, he is the merciful one. > A snort at that, < I do not fear death while in service. > But there is wariness in his eyes at the mention of Damian's father. There is no more talking, as Damian is forced into a truck outside, and taken away. It's a bit of a drive, but Damian can perhaps sense they are still in Gotham City. When he is pulled out, it is an area he doesn't recognize. It is broken down and twisted here, as if it never quite fully repaired from damage caused. A no man's land. One of the buildings semi-in-tact is where he is taken. Is it there that he sees a large, buff man. His black hair is pulled in tightly into a tight, thin braid. He wears an expensive suit in a simple style with a white turtleneck. His beard and mustasche is trimmed perfectly. He stands, looking out over the broken expanse with his hands clasped behind his lower back. The men push Damian before them before they bow. Damian falls silent when his promise to the men who took him is disregarded. He instead focuses on taking in everything about his attackers as they ride and working as subtly as he can at finding some weakness in his restraints. When they stop, he knows they're still in Gotham but Damian is not sure where, he glances around the skyline but doesn't see anything he recognizes either. He frowns, and he takes slow breath to calm himself and slow his quick beating heart. When he is presented to the man in the suit Damian studies him too and does not like what he sees, still he straightens his back and stands with as much dignity as he can muster while he waits for the man to turn back from the broken vista before them and address him. The larger than life man finally turns around to look at his soldiers. He raises an eyebrow, "You are wounded." The shot soldier bows his head lower, "Forgive me. An injury substained when trying not to harm the butler. He unexpectedly had a shotgun." He responded in English as that is the language his Master spoke in. "A gun in Wayne Manor?" Vandal Savage actually looks a bit surprised at that, and then laughs. "Bruce would be greatly displeased to learn of that." But he then waves a hand dismissively. "Uncuff the heir apparent and excuse yourselves. Tend to your wounds and then assist the others with the preparations. Gotham City falls tonight." The soldiers bow so low, their foreheads touch the floor, before the leader of the small group motions to the one with the formerly bloody nose to remove Damian's cuffs. The group then quietly depart. Vandal Savage studies the young man, before he smirks. "You have your Father's eyes, but you are very much like your Mother with how you look at me. You need not plot how to kill me, I'm a true immortal unlike your Grandfather. It wouldn't do to waste your energy and time." Damian watches the exchange between Vandal Savage and his men and when he learns he is to be freed from his cuffs his body tenses with anticipation. Freed, he flexes his hands and wrists turning while he looks up at Vandal Savage. He listens to the sound of the soldiers departing and when he can no longer hear them he leaps his foot coming up fast aimed to land just under Vandal Savage's chin. And when Vandal Savage moves, it is with speed and power. The man is a monster, inhuman. He has been the Black Knight and Green Knight to Julius Ceasar. He has murdered the Hawks in more than one reincarnation of theirs. He is not a man to take lightly, and it is soon quickly obvious why he sent the men away; he can easily handle himself. A massive arm moves to block and knock away Damian's leg while his other massive hand reaches out to grap the boy by the front of PJ shirt. "You are well trained, but you the experience and finesse of your Father. Not that he will stop me either, but he does love to cause little derailments in my plans." Teeth gritted Damian looks across at Vandal Savage and frowns "What are you?" he demands of the man. He's been beaten before but not this easily. "And if your plan is to take Gotham, you're welcome to it. Just let me go." "I was born Cro-Magnon to be exact, but I have long since evolved into something much, much more." He hrms, "Want Gotham? Dear child, I'm going to KILL Gotham. You are just a pawn to be used as a distraction. Really, what is Ra's thinking? He was once such a great man, but I swear his mind is slipping these days," and he sighs in disappointment. "I still remember when I mentored him." He then preceeds to drop Damian. "You will be keeping me company for a little while longer, to distract Batman from my activities. Family is always important to that man," Savage says in almost dismissive of such a sentiment. "Surely you have figured out who I am by now, child?" Damian lands but there are no further attacks now that he's free. He knows who this "Vandal Savage," Damian says through gritted teeth. "That is what you're calling yourself now isn't it?" the bravado is a thin veneer over the sudden panic inducing realization he may not be able to defeat this man if the stories about him at true. "And if you have me to keep my father distracted, then promise me that you will not harm him or his allies and I will stay here of my own free will. Otherwise I will do whatever I can to stop you." He forces himself to calm, and look for ways he can escape while he talks. "If they attack my men, they are informed to use lethal force. If they leave my men alone, then no harm will come to them." Savage actually smirks, "You cannot barter, you have nothing of interest to me. You will stay here and settle down, and no harm will come to you." Savage moves to step back and turn about to look out over the expanse once more. "The earthquakes left this area a mess, and it never was fully rebuilt. Gotham City is a deeply scarred city. I plan to leave nothing of it behind. But if Batman plays into my hands he will be given a choice to 'escape' with you into safety. I doubt he will take it, but I always give those I respect a chance at least. He is a man that could surrpass your Grandfather without issue, if he would just let me guide him. Even your Grandfather knows this, likely why he choose him for your genetics." He turns to look at Damian once more. "I'm not seeing much of him in you right now though. Talia should have sent you to him years ago, specifically just after Jason Todd's death would have been ideal. He would have actually needed you then." It's obvious Savage finds Talia lacking in perspective and understanding of the big picture. "Ah well, what is done cannot be undone at this point." Though Savage is appearing more curious now as he looks at the man-child. When Savage turns Damian considers bolting, but when the topic turns to his grandfather, mother and of course his father he finds himself as curious as Savage seems when he looks at him. He crosses his arms and stands beside the man and stares out at the ruined Gotham. "What do you mean by that? Not much of my father in me? From what I've seen while my father may surpass me in skill and strength, for now, he is deluded and wasting himself fighting for this ruin of a city. So, I suppose I should thank you, I take that as a complement." A snort at that. "Bruce Wayne is not a man to meddle with. He has thwarted your Grandfather countless times; he has even managed to interfere with my own plans. He has assisted in the founding of the Justice League, created an entire legacy of hope in the darkness of Gotham City, and still will not stand still. He pushes everything to its limits and beyond all reason, and still he keeps going. If he is a man that would but forget his morals, he would be nigh unstoppable. Yet, it is perhaps those very morals that make him so fascinating to those that have little to none." Savage then chuckles, "He makes your Grandfather's egotism appear child's play, his own self-righteousness enough to blow most any resistance away." Savage smirks. "Whatever task your Father puts before him, will be achieved; thus the distraction. If one cannot perfectly remove a roadblock, then one should create a detour." He chuckles, "Not that all is lost even if this plan fails, I have so many already in the works. It is merely a delay and nothing more. I am a patient man." The overwhelming confidence is there. "Your Father isn't immortal, and none could hope to fill his boots." There is suddenly the sound of a helicopter. "Ah, my ride is here. You shall be remaining here Damian al Ghul. My men are around the building to prevent your departure should you try, and are permitted to use more 'effective force' if required to keep you in place. It is best to wait for your Father, as he WILL come." Damian listens and nods and is otherwise impassive except when Vandal Savage mentions there is no one else to fill his father's boots. "There's me," he says. Not entirely true, their methods would be very different, but the details aren't important now. Damian is silent when he's told his father will come for him, though when he hears the helicopter depart he makes a break for it anyhow. Likely not successful but he has to try. Also, he's angry and he wants to hurt the men who hurt Alfred.